


Detention

by smolandfeisty



Series: Detention [1]
Category: Worm - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Fluff and Humor, Friendship, Gen, Humor, Male-Female Friendship, One Shot, taylor hebert - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-19
Updated: 2017-11-19
Packaged: 2019-02-04 08:12:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,257
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12766773
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/smolandfeisty/pseuds/smolandfeisty
Summary: Lab Rat and String Theory aren't a pair to miss a laugh, especially at the expense of a new inmate. One-shot, first of a series.





	Detention

**Author's Note:**

> One-shot, first of a series following Taylor in the Birdcage.

“You missed the third one,” Lab Rat drawled as his companion rejoined him. “Too bad, too. This one was the funniest so far.”

String Theory popped off the cap of her bottle and took a swig. She grimaced, which only served to make Lab Rat chuckle.

“That bad, huh?”

“Worse,” the woman said with a scowl. “It’s just some shit made by another inmate. It’ll probably give me cancer or make me lay eggs or something awful. What’d I miss?”

Lab Rat nudged his elbow in the direction of the girl, their source of entertainment for the evening. “She finished her dress. She also finished, er, Deadfall’s job for him.”

“Aw damn,” String Theory groused. “Did she really take out Eight-Ball?”

“Mhm.”

“I would’ve liked to see that.” She took another sip of her beer. Another scream resonated from the far corner of the community hall.

“She webbed him up good,” Lab Rat said, more to break the silence than to say anything meaningful. String Theory gave him that look out of the corner of her eye, though, so he continued. “Faster than he could fire off a shot. When the swarm covered him, I thought she was gonna eat him alive.”

“This seems worse, for an arrogant fuck like Eights,” String Theory said. As she and Lab Rat watched, the girl began spinning a cocoon around Eight-Ball. She did work fast. “He’ll be lucky if he survives another week after losing that badly.”

Lab Rat grinned. “Can’t say the same for our girl. Wonder where she gets all those bugs. Thought the old lady up in the sky was better than that.”

“You’d be surprised what can get through over the course of a few years. All those powers that break physics - you know, the problematic ones - leave some cracks behind. Plus, our regular shipments don’t get hosed down, as far as I know, and…” she lowered her voice conspiratorially, “the  _portals_  that Teacher has been tinkering with. It all leaves a lot of opportunities for critters to sneak through. What Dragon does with them once they’re here, that’s her business.”

“Makes sense,” he allowed. “I reckon Dragon finds it easier to just fight fire with fire. If she sent in exterminator drones, they wouldn’t make it out. But there aren’t many tinkers in here, besides me, that can do much with a mutant spider.”

“I’m wondering if they’re  _friends_ ,” String Theory said. “That’d explain why Dragon’s letting all the bugs in.”

“Hold up.” Lab Rat squinted and leaned forward in his chair as another cape approached the bug girl. “That’s Exorcist.”

“I liked Exorcist,” String Theory grumbled. “Didn’t think he was an idiot, though.”

“I  _like_  Exorcist,” Lab Rat said. He didn’t make a move to intervene, though.

Initiation in the Birdcage was a fragile thing. String Theory had noted that Dragon was careful to place inmates where they’d be welcome. Most of the cellblock leaders weren’t too bad, either. But it was still a prison, and people still had issues of their own. Lots of issues.

So a teenage girl who carved out her own little corner of a public rec room and didn’t kowtow to the self-proclaimed leaders of that specific microcosm? That was a situation that was just  _inviting_ trouble.

Exorcist nudged the table that the girl was working on with his boot. She glowered up at him. When she still didn’t move, he kicked it harder, knocking her embroidery to the floor.

“And...here it goes,” String Theory murmured. Lab Rat’s eyes were glued on the two combatants.

The fight was over fast. Exorcist threw a punch at the girl, fists glowing with black energy. The girl just leaned back out of the way, and her bugs did the rest. Exorcist’s arms were entangled in a net of spider-silk, and then he was jerked backwards. A lasso that dangled from the ceiling’s light fixtures tightened around his midsection.

“She’s good,” String Theory finally acknowledged. She saluted the girl with her empty bottle before setting it down on the coffee table between herself and Lab Rat. “Not as good as us, though. She lacks style.”

The girl kicked her Eight-Ball cocoon off the couch where it was seated. As the restrained villain fell the floor, Exorcist was hoisted up several feet off the ground. One of the strings snapped, and his position changed, leaving him hanging upside-down.

“She’s good,” String Theory repeated.

Lab Rat just regarded Exorcist forlornly. “He was a good enforcer. Nonlethal, which is rare.”

“Oh, chill out,” she said. “He’ll get over it. Or you will. It was his mistake for attacking her anyway. Did he even watch what she did?”

“I’m gonna get her back,” Lab Rat blurted out, oblivious to everything that String Theory had just said. He scrambled out of his chair and began inspecting his immediate area for materials. String Theory just groaned and fell back against her cushions.

“That is a terrible idea,” she informed him. “It’ll look bad. And if you look bad, I’ll look bad too.”

Lab Rat peered up at her from the floor. One of his hands was jammed under his recliner. There was fluff in his hair. “I’m not going to attack her or anything. It’s just a harmless prank.”

“Harmless prank?” String Theory asked, bewildered.

Lab Rat withdrew his hand. “Dammit! I’m too slow. Can you grab me a spider?”

“Hold up. Why are you trying to find a spider?” String Theory asked. Lab Rat just tapped the side of his head. He was digging through his pockets now. String Theory sighed. “Fine.”

There was still a number of bugs that weren’t with the girl yet - she was probably summoning the creepy-crawlies to herself from all over the Birdcage. Most people would find it hard to catch a small spider that was being piloted by an intelligent mind, but String Theory wasn’t  _stupid_. It only took her a few moments before she had the chance to snatch up a spider, without even getting up from her chair.

“Here you go, highness,” she proclaimed, tossing the bug in Lab Rat’s direction. He caught it, almost crushing it between his two hands, and dropped it in his empty cup.

“Now watch this,” he said gleefully. String Theory averted her eyes.

Lab Rat emptied a vial into the cup and swirled it around, dissolving the spider into a slurry of black and pink mass. Moments later, it began to reform, looking vastly different. It was more like a maggot or grub, now, as thick around as a baseball. Beady eyes covered the area where its head would be, and tiny stumps wriggled around its midsection. It let out a quiet shriek of rage.

“You’re not looking,” Lab Rat pouted. Gamely, his fellow tinker cast a sidelong glance at the abomination.

“That’s disgusting,” she replied. She looked away as quickly as possible. “I have no idea why you made me be a part of this. Or why I let you.”

“Just wait till she notices,” Lab Rat said with a grin.

The pair watched confusion pass over the girl’s face, followed by a look of horror. The spider-grub’s legs continued to wriggle ineffectually. The girl’s face pinched in concentration. Spider-grub continued to flail. The girl focused harder.

Spider-grub exploded.

Lab Rat erupted into peals of laughter as the bug girl reeled back in shock. String Theory swiveled her gaze around, staring down any spectators. The girl was the only one watching them, her face blank.

String Theory allowed herself a chuckle too.

**Author's Note:**

> Betaed by skyrunner <3


End file.
